Department Director - Data Science

Overview

The Director, Administration and Operations, is a mission-driven leader and trusted advisor to the Chair of the Department of Data Science at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In this pivotal role, the Director provides comprehensive oversight of all administrative, financial, operational, and compliance functions, ensuring the department’s infrastructure empowers faculty, staff, and trainees to advance scientific discovery and innovation in cancer research.

Serving as a visible partner to departmental, institutional, and external stakeholders, the Director plays a vital role in shaping and implementing strategic initiatives, driving operational excellence, and fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performance culture. The Director leads and mentors a diverse administrative team, facilitates cross-departmental collaboration, and proactively addresses challenges to ensure the Department of Data Science remains at the forefront of research and discovery.

The Director is responsible for managing complex financial operations, supporting grant and research administration, and championing process improvement and best practices that promote efficiency and sustainability. This role oversees space planning, event coordination, and asset management, ensuring seamless day-to-day operations and a welcoming environment for all department members.

Reporting directly to the Department Chair with a dotted line into Research Leadership, the Director serves as a primary liaison to Dana-Farber’s leadership and external partners, helping to achieve the strategic objectives of both the department and the Institute. The Director’s work directly supports the department’s mission to accelerate data-driven solutions in cancer research and improve patient outcomes, offering a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact within one of the world’s leading cancer research institutions.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

Coordinate with the Department Chair on departmental and research/hospital leadership on institutional matters impacting research staff or faculty.

Responsible for the following primary functions:

Finance:

• Authorization and Oversight: Exercise signing authority within the management hierarchy and ensure fiscal management aligns with donor intent and institutional policies.
• Fund Management: Oversee various funding sources, including research grants and clinical trials, ensuring effective management and compliance with guidelines.
• Deficit Oversight: Monitor fund/program deficits and prepare reports for departmental leadership.
• Business Planning: Develop business plans for specific funding lines and initiatives.
• Donor Relations: Collaborate with Philanthropy and Special Funds staff to manage donor relationships and ensure proper fund stewardship.
• Financial Reporting: Work with Finance to prepare departmental profit and loss reports for leadership review.
• Budget Management: Prepare and monitor departmental budgets, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
• Staff Training: Train administrative staff to provide financial consultation and produce financial reports for decision-making.
• External Collaboration: Coordinate with external institutes to manage shared faculty employment and funding effectively.

Human Resources:

• Personnel Management: Ensure alignment with Institute policy for all aspects of personnel management
• Issue Resolution: Resolve personnel issues for faculty, collaborating with the Human Resources team.
• Staffing Levels: Ensure appropriate staffing across departmental lines of business.
• Appointments and Promotions: Oversee academic, research, and clinical appointments and promotions processes.
• Faculty Searches: Manage faculty searches, job offers, and academic appointments in line with institute policies.
• Performance Oversight: Oversee the performance and evaluation process.
• Diversity Recruitment: Collaborate with HR to enhance diversity in recruitment strategies.
• Engagement with People Strategy: Maintain engagement with People Strategy Partners to stay informed on workforce initiatives.
• Performance Improvement: Collaborate on strategies for continuous performance improvement and career development.
• Compliance: Ensure compliance with out-of-state employment laws.
• Well-being Initiatives: Promote and assess faculty and staff well-being initiatives.
• Communication Liaison: Act as the primary liaison for communicating organizational changes from HR.
• HRIS Collaboration: Work closely with HRIS on department HR structures and security.

General/Strategy:

• Process Improvement: Identify opportunities and collaborate with Institute leadership to enhance processes and quality.
• Advisory Role: Advise the Department Chair/Division Chief on departmental and institutional matters.
• Support Systems: Assess and propose new or updated administrative and operational support systems.
• Policy Enforcement: Establish and enforce department policies and procedures.
• Space Planning: Manage departmental space planning, design, and relocations.
• Capital Management: Handle capital requests and oversee space renovations.
• Event Oversight: Oversee symposia, conferences, training, and educational activities.
• Communication Oversight: Manage internal and external communications.
• Institute-Level Projects: Advise and co-lead projects, contributing to the planning of new programs and services.
• Stakeholder Interaction: Independently engage with internal and external stakeholders to influence and implement strategic business decisions.
• Growth Opportunities: Identify strategic growth opportunities and design projects to ensure successful positioning.

Operations:

• Process Optimization: Optimize business processes and workflows to enhance efficiency.
• Operational Initiatives: Design and execute key operational initiatives, ensuring alignment with priorities for operational excellence.
• Compliance Monitoring: Continuously monitor laboratory operations for compliance with institutional policies, including environmental health and safety.
• Space Planning: Collaborate on short- and long-term space planning with leadership and facilities management.
• Space Management: Manage institutional space resources, including activities like Dollar Density Reporting and office assignments.
• Inventory Stewardship: Ensure proper stewardship of supply inventory and promote collaboration for equipment sharing.
• Equipment Maintenance: Ensure equipment is maintained and users are trained to minimize risk.
• Operational Awareness: Maintain awareness of operational activities to plan for personnel needs impacted by patient volume.
• Clinical Operations Awareness: Maintain continuous awareness of clinical operations to understand their impact on patient flow, faculty well-being, and fellow efforts.
• Issue Response: Actively respond to and resolve issues as they arise, ensuring smooth operations and support for faculty and fellows

Compliance:

• Policy Enforcement: Enforce annual education requirements, Code of Conduct, immunization mandates, and HR policies on discrimination and harassment.
• Scientific Misconduct: Ensure adherence to the scientific misconduct policy.
• Confidentiality and Security: Enforce policies on patient confidentiality and data security.
• Collaboration and Escalation: Collaborate with HR and leadership to enforce policies, escalating issues as needed.
• Accreditation Compliance: Ensure adherence to accreditation requirements within the ACGME accredited Fellowship Program

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Computer Literacy : Expert in new applications and software, with proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets.
• Organization : Extensive experience in electronic document management, adept at prioritization, multitasking, and delegation with strong attention to detail.
• Customer Service : Provides excellent written and verbal communication, with strong listening, inquiry, follow-up, and problem-solving skills.
• Critical Thinking : Demonstrated expertise in assessing complex situations and developing solutions.
• Financial Expertise : Proficient in budgeting principles, projections, and managing complex awards.
• Teamwork and Collaboration : Cultivates relationships with faculty, research staff, and departments, fostering collaboration.
• Institute Operations : Directs faculty and researchers to appropriate resources, with expert knowledge of regulations and SOPs.
• Project Management : Manages multiple workstreams and stakeholders, developing trust and influencing without authority.
• Inclusion, Diversity & Equity : Promotes an inclusive community, creating an environment that engages and retains talent.
• Leadership : Leads and influences departmental projects, troubleshoots complex issues, and communicates effectively

MINIMUM JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree is preferred
• 10 years of experience in a related field required
• 3 years of people management experience required

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are committed to having faculty and staff who offer multifaceted experiences. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and compassionate professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.  

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Pay Transparency Statement

The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

$175,900.00 - $196,900.00